Treatment of dyspepsia

ABSTRACT

Use of a at least one type of xanthophylls for the preparation of a medicament for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of dyspepsia, is disclosed. The xanthophyll is preferably astaxanthin, e.g. astaxanthin is in a form esterified with fatty acids, such as in algal meal prepared from a culture of the alga  Haematococcus  sp. The medicament may further comprise carbohydrate structures and/or (a) different antioxidant(s). Further, a method of prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of dyspepsia in an individual, is described. The method comprises administration to said individual of an dyspepsia-alleviating amount of a medicament comprising at least one type of xanthophylls.

The present invention relates to treatment of dyspepsia. The inventionis particularly concerned with the use of at least one type ofxanthophylls for the preparation of a medicament for prophylactic and/ortherapeutic treatment of dyspepsia, and a method of treating dyspepsia.A preferred xanthophyll is astaxanthin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dyspepsia, or indigestion, is one of the most common gastrointestinaldisorders or diseases in both animals and humans. Dyspepsia ispersistent or recurrent abdominal pain or abdominal discomfort centeredin the upper abdomen. Dyspepsia refers to symptoms in the upper abdomenthat are considered to be related to the upper alimentary tract. Oftendyspepsia is temporary and disappears spontaneously. In case alleviationof the symptoms is desired, ingestion of antacids is often the firstchoice of treatment. Antacids are normally not taken prophylactically.

However, there are several alternative therapeutic treatments ofdyspepsia, and the present invention provides a new alternative, whichmay also be used for prophylactic treatment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the use of at least one type ofxanthophylls for the preparation of a medicament for prophylactic and/ortherapeutic treatment of dyspepsia.

In a preferred embodiment the xanthophyll is astaxanthin, especiallyastaxanthin in a form esterified with fatty acids. The astaxanthin inesterified form is suitably provided in the form of algal meal preparedfrom a culture of the alga Haematococcus sp.

The medicament may further comprise carbohydrate structures, such aslipopolysaccharides, polysaccharides and glycoproteins, and/or one orseveral different antioxidant(s), such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) andtocopherol (vitamin E).

The medicament is preferrably in the form of unit doses adapted for adaily dosage of xanthophyll(s) in the range of 0.05 to 1 mg per kg bodyweight of an individual, which is an animal or a human.

The invention is also directed to a method of prophylactic and/ortherapeutic treatment of dyspepsia in an individual, which comprisesadministration to said individual of an dyspepsia-alleviating amount ofa medicament comprising at least one type of xanthophylls.

In a preferred embodiment the xanthophyll is astaxanthin, especiallyastaxanthin in a form esterified with fatty acids. The astaxanthin inesterified form is suitably provided in the form of algal meal preparedfrom a culture of the alga Haematococcus sp.

The medicament may further comprise carbohydrate structures, such aslipopolysaccharides, polysaccharides and glycoproteins, and/or one orseveral different antioxidant(s), such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) andtocopherol (vitamin E).

Preferably, the dyspepsia-alleviating amount of the medicament comprisesxanthophyll(s) in the range of 0.05 to 1 mg per kg body weight of theindividual, which is an animal or a human.

The at least one type of xanthophylls that are used in the presentinvention may comprise a mixture of different types of xanthophylls ordifferent forms of the same xanthophyll, such as a mixture of syntheticastaxanthin and naturally produced astaxanthin.

The mechanism of the prophylactic and therapeutic effect of thexanthophylles in the treatment of dyspepsia is not known, but it shouldbe noted that they possess strong antioxidative properties and that theyare soluble in fats and oils.

At present, the most preferred embodiment of the invention comprisesalgal meal having astaxanthin in esterified form with fatty acidsdissolved in small droplets of naturally occurring oil and naturallyoccurring carbohydrate structures in the partially disrupted cell walls.

The medicament used in the invention may comprise additional ingredientswhich are pharmacologically acceptable inactive or active inprophylactic and/or therapeutic use, such as flavoring agents.

The medicament may be presented in a separate unit dose or in mixturewith food. Examples of separate unit doses are tablets, gelatin capsulesand predetermined amounts of solutions, e.g. oil solutions, oremulsions, e.g. water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions. Examples offoods in which the preparation of the invention may be incorporated isdairy products, such as yoghurt, chocolate and cereals.

Experiments

The experiments were conducted on 15 human volunteers experiencingsymptoms of dyspepsia that did not disappear spontaneously. They weregiven 2 to 10 capsules per day containing algal meal produced byculturing of the algae Haematococcus sp. by AstaCarotene AB,Gustavsberg, Sweden. (These capsules are sold as an anti-oxidant andthey contain 4 mg astaxanthin per capsule, with the instruction to takeone capsule per day.)

This double to ten times the recommended dose, i.e. 8–40 mg astaxanthinper day, eliminated or drastically alleviated the symptoms of dyspepsiain all volunteers in 1–3 weeks, and no side effects were reported.

Astaxanthin from other sources, and other xanthophylls as well, areexpected to be similarly useful for the purposes of the invention. Anadvantage of using astaxanthin from algae is, however, that theastaxanthin exists in a form esterified with fatty acids [Renström B. etal, 1981, Phytochem 20(11):2561–2564], which esterified astaxanthinthereby is more stable during handling and storage than freeastaxanthin.

1. A method for alleviating symptoms of indigestion in a human, whichcomprises administering an indigestion alleviating effective amount of amedicament to said human wherein said medicament consists essentially ofat least one type of xanthophyll as an active ingredient.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the xanthophyll is astaxanthin.
 3. Themethod according to claim 2, wherein the astaxanthin is in a formesterified with fatty acids.
 4. The method according to claim 3, whereinthe astaxanthin in esterified form is provided in the form of algal mealprepared from a culture of the alga Haematococcus sp.
 5. The methodaccording claim 1, wherein the medicament consists essentially of saidat least one type of xanthophyll and at least one carbohydrate.
 6. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the medicament consists essentiallyof said at least one type of xanthophyll and a different antioxidant. 7.The method according to claim 1, wherein said xanthophyll isadministered in the range of 0.05 to 1 mg per kg body weight of thehuman.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medicamentconsists essentially of said at least one type of xanthophyll anddifferent antioxidants.
 9. The method according to claim 7, wherein morethan one type of xanthophyll is administered to said human.